Week in Review 12/29 to 1/4/2015

As weeks in running go, this one was pretty exciting. I looked back over 2014, kicked off the new year with a race win and finally put another race on the calendar. In so doing, I’m feeling a lot more motivated to get out there which coincides perfectly with the arctic blast headed our way. No temps above 20 for the foreseeable future = potential for quite a bit of indoor running.

Monday: Super icy early morning. Cars all over the road but I avoided disaster. 7.7 miles with a mile of 200 ins and outs plus glutes, balance and a foam roll session.

Tuesday: Ski race at Mount Hor so skied the course, then ran to the top and back while coaching. 2 miles of running, god knows how many of skiing.

Wednesday: Hour of classic skiing plus 5.8 mile run with striders. Arms afterward.

Thursday: First Run! 2.5 mile warm up, 5K in 19:11, 1.5 mile cooldown for 7.2 miles. Happy to find out I can still run a 5:49 mile…Glutes and legs afterward.

Friday: 4.2 mile recovery run around campus then skied to the Cabin at Trapps. Hairy conditions, so happy not to fall.

Saturday: 11.3 mile long run. Absolutely frigid out. Definitely did not eat enough Friday night to fuel a long run!

Sunday: Rest day before kicking off the spring cycle.

Total Miles: 38.15

Two leg sessions and 1 arm session.

Happy with the way this week went and even happier to feel ready to train again. I’ll spend the next 6 weeks rebuilding a strong foundation (fartleks, hill runs, basic tempo) as I look forward to the 10 miler on February 22nd.

Well, at least I have something on the calendar?

Evidently 2015 is the year where I’ll fly by the seat of my pants racing wise. In some ways, this makes sense. At least from now until March 2nd, my priority is the USMLE Step 1 exam and everything else has to come second. This doesn’t leave a ton of time for focused training or high miles. After a decent performance on Thursday, I feel like I have enough fitness to start doing mini-cycles until I’m ready to commit to my “big” 2015 race. As such, I signed up for the 5 Colleges Realtors 10 Miler in Amherst on February 22nd. It’s the first of the USATF NE Grand Prix series, so I’m hopeful that I can get some early points on the board. I haven’t run that race before but in reading some blogs on the course, it sounds hilly and challenging. Perfect!

Over the next 6 weeks, I’ll be working on getting some longer runs back in, keep trucking on tempo work and adding in some hills both to restart speed development and prep for the 10 miler.

Anyone else joining me in Amherst? What’s your next race?

Getting Back on the Horse

Tis the season for many new and revived runners and I love it! If being a running evangelical were a career, I’d be set. Running is for everyone and it’s fantastic that it gets included in so many New Year’s resolutions. If you’re starting running for the first time or the 50th time this week, welcome! Take it slow, expect a little discomfort and know that in the near future, these tough first days will be just a memory.

For those coming back to running, there’s some great news coming from the research world that you aren’t starting from zero. Researchers found that once you’ve been a runner, your muscles and the organelles within them never forget that. They may be a little rusty but the framework is still there and you will get back in shape faster than your never-run peers. If you were feeling a little anxious about heading back out there, grab those shoes and feel confident that your muscles know what they’re doing.

Anyone reading coming back to running? How about brand new runners? For the veterans, how do you approach a return to running after a layoff or break?

Race Report: RunVermont First Run 5K

It has been a LONG time since I’ve raced a 5K and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little anxious about what this morning would bring. I’m in good general shape but have done very little in the way of workouts since Vegas and have almost no memory of how to race a 5K. I’ve run the course before and my plan was to go out moderately for mile 1, survive the hill and headwind of mile 2 then kick it in for mile 3, which features a great downhill finish.

It was cold and windy this morning with a “feels like” of 11 at race start. I hate to be hot when I race so I gambled and wore capris and a long sleeve. Although I froze at the start, I was generally happy with this choice during the race. The start went out FAST and I was in about 10th place for women at half a mile but worked to just run my race. This turned out to be a good approach; I was in second by the mile. As we turned into the wind, I caught the woman who was in first and when she threw in a little surge, I decided to just tuck in on her as we battled the wind for mile 2. At about the 3K, however, she was starting to slow way down so I gave it my 10 quick steps and pushed past her to the next group of people.

WHERE is the top of this hill? And why does this have to be the headwind?

Once we crested the hill at 2, I ground down and worked on just keeping form solid through the final mile. The Beech Street downhill was FREEZING but once we turned again, it wasn’t too bad for the last stretch. Somewhere along here a woman told me I was first woman, so I just kept pressing to the line. I finished feeling strong and got to break the finishing tape! I reflexively threw my arms up, so stay tuned for that picture…

Coach was not on his photo game today…grinding towards the finish.

I’m most thrilled with my race splits as they reflect that I respected the course and pushed when it was appropriate. I have a bad tendency to fight the wind so I’m thrilled that I trusted myself enough to just settle in through the windy mile and get it back together when we turned.

Mile 1: 6:10

Mile 2: 6:30

Mile 3: 5:49

.1: 5:31 pace

19:11, First Overall Female, 17th overall.

All in all, an excellent day that bodes well for 2015!

Wrapping Up 2014

I rang in 2014 on crutches and heavily sedated on painkillers. Looking back at where it started, I’m grateful that the year still held a marathon PR despite it’s immobile beginnings. I was lucky enough to coach another season of cross country and somehow finished my second year of medical school (courtesy of the funky UVM schedule). I fully intended to have at least part of 2015 planned out by today but studying for the Boards has taken up most of my time and I’m still waiting on some sponsorship information that will change my plans significantly. So into 2015 I go sans any kind of training plan, an anxiety inducing situation for me!

I wrapped up December with 156 miles. My 2014 total was 2259 miles which comes out to a weekly average of 43 miles (which includes the 6 weeks of 0 post surgery). Thus, one of my running related goals for 2015 is to up that weekly average to 50 miles, giving me a total goal of 2600 miles for 2015. Assuming two training cycles up in the 70 mpw range, this should be attainable without scrambling next December.

Another thing I did well at the beginning and end of the year but not so hot in the middle was weight training. I know strength work is key to injury prevention and maximum efficiency but I always cut that out first when my schedule gets crammed. Thus, for 2015, I want to make sure I am getting at least 1 arm and 1 leg workout in per week. Yes, more would be better but I’m trying to be realistic.

I generally have pretty good nutrition but there are definitely areas in which I can improve. First, we eat a little too much candy in this house which is not a calorie issue, but a “bang for buck” issue. We had a “Sundays only” rule for a while, so I may lobby that we go back to that. I’ve been working on taking my vitamins (multivitamin with iron, Vitamin D and biotin) every day and finally found that if I leave my pill container by my bed (I know this makes me 80+), I actually take them daily. We recently switched to a cast iron pan and continue to make sure we eat red meat twice a week to keep my iron stores nice and full.

Finally, I need to work on flexibility. I sit a lot for school and have tight fascia, both of which set me up for range of motion issues. I’ve been working on foam rolling consistently and will continue that in 2015 but am on the lookout for a simple yoga routine to do at home two days a week. In my optimal world, it would be about 20 minute long and focus on hips and lower back.

What are your goals for 2015? Anyone have a video or website that they love for yoga?

Happy Anniversary Foot!

Still rocking the cankle, 365 days later.

Since I’ll be up at Mount Hor tomorrow for a ski race, we’re celebrating a day early! Tomorrow marks a year since my foot surgery. I’m about 80% back to normal; I’ll give myself 100% when I can run on uneven terrain or wear heels to a wedding and be pain free the next day. The latter example is fresh in my mind as I’m still limping around from Saturday night and wincing every time I pronate.

We celebrated this morning with an 8 mile run including a mile of 200 ins and outs, a leg lift and finished up with balance work and a foam roll. Quite a long way from my first steps and Frankenfoot!

Week in Review 12.22.14 to 12.28.14

The odd weather continues, with almost a week of springlike running that melted literally all of the two feet of snow we got last week. Since we’re scheduled to cool off tomorrow, it’s a blessing that the snow melted and won’t turn into a glare of ice but it’s still odd to have 40 degree temps at the end of December.

Monday: 6 mile golf course run with striders in the last mile.

Tuesday: 5 mile fartlek workout. 2 by 5 at T pace, 2 by 2 at T+ and 2 by 1 at I pace. Ran out of my inhaler so a little wheezy but a good workout regardless. Lifted legs afterward.

Wednesday: 4.25 mile run in the rain. Miserable weather!

Thursday: 9.1 mile run around the Fort. Lifted arms at home.

Friday: 4 mile fartlek dog run. New glute routine afterward.

Saturday: 4 mile run between studying and the wedding. Legs pretty tired from the glute work on Friday.

Sunday: 10 mile long run with Will. Arms afterward.

Total: 42.4 miles

Almost a legitimate week of running! I’m really happy with getting in that much lifting and starting up small workouts again. I’m still debating what I want 2015 to look like but I’m starting to move out of maintenance phase into basebuilding and feel really strong and almost mentally ready to grind out workouts again. Somehow I got roped into running a 5K on New Year’s Day, so look forward to the glorious recap of a race distance I haven’t trained for in 8 years on top of red wine.

How was your holiday week of running? Anyone else running a race on New Years Day?

Congratulations Kath and Derek!

Katherine has been one of my bestest running buddies since moving back to Burlington. Her brother ran at St. Lawrence with Will and when she and I met, it was mutual adoration at first run. We’ve run through everything and on every big day of our lives. A 10 miler in the snow and ice and near miss with the snow plow the morning before I got engaged. An hour on the indoor track as we picked my wedding day and fussed over wedding details we’d never even considered. The run ON my wedding day to keep me sane. The otherwise normal run when she casually mentioned she’d “met someone” and thought he “might be the one.” The run when she told me he WAS the one. A million and a half miles later, I get to celebrate her marriage to Derek today!

Snuggling as always, minutes before I got engaged. She’s an excellent secret keeper.

Patiently doing 9 million buttons on my dress, which may explain why she opted for a zipper on hers…

The bride and groom, moments after THEY got engaged.

Merry Christmas!

From an early winter storm to a January-esque thaw, December has been an interesting weather month to be a runner. Today, Will and I will be running in shorts and splashing through puddles. On Monday, we’ll be back in our Icebugs. Oh the weather outside is frightful indeed.

May your Christmas Day be full of good food, family and friends and a few miles all to yourself.

Week in Review: 12.15.14 to 12.21.14

Winter running is in full effect, including stutter step runs across ice and so many layers that one looks a bit like the kid in the Christmas Story.

Monday: 6.8 miles.

Tuesday: Workout! Ran to gym then 2 by 10 minutes on the treadmill at 170 bpm (T Pace) which turned out to be 6:40 pace. A little slower than in cycle but that’s to be expected. Lifted arms after.

Wednesday: Cross training, skied with the team.

Thursday: 4.25 mile recovery run plus hour ski with the team afterward.

Friday: 7 mile run. Legs wiped from a week of doubling.

Saturday: Hour of skiing at Sleepy then with Will. Scar and FHL bugging me.

Sunday: 9 mile run.

Total: 33.4 miles of running, 4 hours of skiing.

Happy to get some longer runs in this week and my first workout back. My foot is struggling with skiing right now (just hasn’t had to push off like that in a year), but hoping some stretching and scar cross friction will help resolve that. Looking forward to a week with a less insane schedule so that I can keep getting longer runs in.